DEWI SANT CHURCH NEWS

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1 DEWI SANT CHURCH NEWS ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ MOMENTS FROM THE SERVICES OF NOVEMBER December/Rhagfyr 2018 On Nov. 11 we were led by Rev. Metcalf in a service of remembrance. Rev. Metcalf recounted the life of Canadian physician born in Guelph, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, author of In Flanders Fields. He was already a published poet in Canada at the time he wrote the poem in the Second Battle of Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium. A close friend was killed during the battle on May 2. McCrae performed the burial service himself, at which time he noted how poppies quickly grew around the graves of those who died at Ypres. The next day, he composed the poem while sitting in the back of an ambulance at an Advanced Dressing Station outside Ypres. This location is today known as the John McCrae Memorial Site. He died at age 46 in 1918 from pneumonia while still commanding No. 3 Canadian General Hospital (McGill) at Boulogne, France. Other poems which were read were Englynion coffa Hedd Wyn (a lament using about the death of the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans at age 30 at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917) by Robert Parry Williams and High Flight by John GiIlespie Magee Jr. who was killed in an accidental mid-air collision over England in 1941, at the age of 19. Subsequent to this one of our readers sent in a remembrance story: As we celebrate the Armistice I would like to share the following story with you. A few days ago I received a text from my daughter-in-law, Carolyn, who was born and raised in Newfoundland. Carolyn is searching fervently for her ancestors and has joined "Ancestry.com." She had just discovered the details of her great-grandmother's son (her mother's uncle). As I have already mentioned, the family come from Newfoundland and during the First World War a huge number of the young men were conscripted to fight for the Empire. Carolyn's great-grandmother had 5 sons and they all went to war. None returned. She knew that George, 19 years old, had died, but did not know where he had been buried. For the rest of her life she had no idea what had happened to her youngest son nor where his remains had been laid to rest. Somehow or other Carolyn had discovered that George had been buried in Bodelwyddan, North Wales, and wondered if I could arrange for someone to place flowers on his grave on the 11 th November. When I replied that my friends were more than willing you can imagine the tears! Since 1919 no-one in the family had any idea where poor George was, and now Carolyn had even found a photo of his grave. (What did we do before computers?) Why had this young "Newfie" been buried in North Wales? Perhaps you know the history, but I didn't. Y Gadwyn 1 December/Rhagfyr 2018

2 After the War ended more than 17,000 soldiers were billeted in a camp called Kinmel Park, waiting to be shipped home. Their conditions were dreadful - lack of food, no money even to buy cigarettes, although their officers had a much better standard of living and could visit Rhyl (a nearby town) and even London. Many died of the Flu in In February 1919 they heard that the ships that were to take them back to Canada had been reassigned to American soldiers - who had fought and suffered far less than they. A riot broke out in the camp and several of the "rioters" were shot. They too are buried in the graveyard of St Margaret's Church in Bodelwyddan. Back to my daughter-in-law: she is delighted that she has discovered her great-uncle George's grave and you can imagine how grateful she is that flowers "from the family" will be placed on his grave for the first time ever. If you ever go to Bodelwyddan would you please go to the cemetery and search for grave # 462. George Brown died of pneumonia in November Tell him that his family back in Canada are rejoicing that they have found him at last. May he rest in peace. Hefina Phillips On Nov. 18 Patty Evans from the United Church spoke on Mending the World which outlined some of the work the church does in mission and service. In her homily she recounted that our engagement in God s mission, embodied in Jesus Christ, for justice, love and wholeness for all of creation is not a lone activity. God calls us to be in partnership one with another, so that we can contribute to one another the gifts we have to offer for mission. This understanding of partnership has led our church to reciprocal relationships with 94 global Mission and Service partners in 22 countries around the world. In addition, we work with 20 Canadian ecumenical and civil society organizations on justice initiatives here in our own country. The United Church of Canada explicitly affirmed that global economic justice is essential to the integrity of our faith in God and our discipleship as Christians. Jesus promised abundant life for all. Our global partners believe that promise, and can teach us about hope. Patty mentioned her visit back to Congo in 1998, so soon after all the pillaging in Kinshasa, to a church school where she heard their accounts of that frightening period of violence. Signs of the destruction -- broken desks, chairs, windows with no glass - were evident even as classes continued as best they could. Both their courage and ingenuity were demonstrated as the staff told of making repairs as they acquired funds while also continuing to do programme development. When the young principal was asked what message he would want her to take back to the United Church of Canada, he said Tell them that through it all, we did not lose our faith. Patty reminded us that our gifts help to make places of despair into spaces of hope. But in each case, we are also the recipients as we are enriched and strengthened by the profound faith, courage, and resilience lived out by our partners. We should commit ourselves to mending the world in order to bring about God s reign for in God s economy, we are instruments of its coming into being. For the final service of the month the Rev. Nestor Medina was our guest minister and spoke on the importance of Kindom instead of Kingdom. It was Paul who said that the entire law was summarized and fulfilled in the command to love our neighbour as ourselves, challenging us to dare to imagine a world where people s attitudes toward others are influenced by our own desire to serve, to love, to respect, to share the life that God has given us. Galatians 3:28 tells us that in Christ there are neither Jews nor Greeks, neither slave nor free, nor there is male and female. The verse suggests that the good news comes with a promise, a democratizing effect, a levelling of the playing field where we are all invited as children of God to sit and eat at the table. For this reason, we are part of the kindom of God and not the kingdom of God - we are all siblings, we are kin in Y Gadwyn 2 December/Rhagfyr 2018

3 God. We are all called to get out of our comfort zones and risk loving a stranger, getting to know a poor person, accompany someone who has been discarded by society, and to identify and walk with someone who has experienced discrimination. It is in those ways that we love our neighbour as ourselves, and it is in those ways that we care for our kin. That is the great reversal that is the gospel message that runs diametrically opposite to the present world configuration. May God give us the strength to go against the grain and to not forget that we all are kin in Christ. OUTREACH Once again this year, the congregation will be asked to provide that extra support to those in need during the Christmas season. At the entrance of the church there will be a basket with cut outs of Christmas symbols on which is printed the name of a type of grocery product/food item that is needed by the food bank. Please pick up one or two when entering or leaving the sanctuary and bring the items suggested the following week (and return the cut outs to the basket). Rita Hoffman our loyal representative with Food Bank will also gladly accept and deliver and cash donations. If you are not able to come to church you can participate by mailing your cheque payable to Lansing Food Bank to the church Secretary, Dewi Sant Welsh United Church, 33 Melrose Avenue, Toronto, M5M 1Y6. In addition, under the leadership of Donna Morris, there will be an opportunity to support Centre 55 s Share-a-Christmas program which provides Christmas assistance to over 1,000 families. For those who don t know, Centre 55 is an award winning agency of the City of Toronto and registered charity serving over 1000 families in Ward 32, Donna s home area. One of its greatest needs is gift cards for teenagers aged 13-16, an age group that is frequently overlooked at Christmas. Buy a gift card at any Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Home Depot and so on and give to Donna (or mail to the church as above). Both of these initiatives will run through the month of December. Your support of these projects will be very much appreciated Diolch. Betty Cullingworth A GRANDSON Anna and Mike Dunets-Wills are happy to announce the birth of Ethan Wills Brown to Terri Wills, Mike s daughter, and Chris Brown in London, England on Dec. 9. I guess this means more trips to England and Wales of course! Anna (yes, the Editor) and Mike CHRISTMAS FLOWERS The Ladies of the Church are collecting money for Christmas flowers for the church. If you would like to include flowers in memory or in thanksgiving, please contact Lynette Jenkins. See weekly bulletin for red form. Deadline: SUNDAY, December 16 Lynette Jenkins Y Gadwyn 3 December/Rhagfyr 2018

4 IN MEMORIAM Tom and June Edwards June passed away November 24 and her beloved husband Tom passed away Dec 3. My parents were married for 68 years this past June and they were only apart after mum passed for 9 days! A memorial visitation for both mum and dad will take place at the W. C. Town Funeral Chapel, 110 Dundas Street east, Whitby, on Friday Dec. 21 st from 2:00 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 9:00 p.m. The funeral for June is Dec. 22 nd at 11:00 am in Whitby at All Saints Anglican Church, 300 Dundas Street West in Whitby. We will have a Celebration of Life for dad on Sunday Dec. 23 rd at 11:00 a.m. at the Whitby Legion, 117 Byron Street South also in Whitby. More can be found about June and Tom and Online condolences may be left at Rachel Edwards Cameron Davies With sadness, we inform you of the tragic sudden death of Cameron Davies, eldest grandson of Gretl Davies, on December 3. Please keep Gretl and family, especially her daughter and son-inlaw and family, in your prayers as they contend with this shocking news. The Editor Vaughan Lewis new address is: Adelaide Place Adelaide St. S. Lindsay, ON K9V 0G6 WELSH COMMUNITY NEWS CHANGE OF ADDRESS ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ MEETING ROWAN WILLIAMS Rowan Williams, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke on Sunday, November 11 th as part of the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship at Yorkminster Park Baptist church in Toronto. Several members of Dewi Sant were at that service and at the following evening which included a lecture by another speaker at the Preaching Fellowship, and the regular Ionian Liturgy held on the first Monday of each month. In the intermission both Donna Morris and Anna Dunets met Dr. Williams. Donna discovered that in his youth he had been a minister in her grandparent s small village in Wales. Anna asked him, on behalf of the Search Committee, to tell his network of preachers back in Wales about our ongoing search for a minister. Y Gadwyn 4 December/Rhagfyr 2018

5 Anna Dunets (facing) and Donna Morris (with back to picture) in theological discussion with Rowan Williams. CONGRATULATIONS TO CHRISTOPHER EVANS Recently Christopher Evans, son of Shirley Evans, was made a Fellow of the prestigious British Academy of the humanities and sciences. This is indeed a singular honour. The announcement read as follows: Christopher Evans (Department of Archaeology) is to be elected to the fellowship in recognition of his work on some of the most important archaeological field projects undertaken in this country (Britain) since the growth of development-led archaeology. Chris is the Executive Director of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit. Co-founding the Unit and has worked in British Archaeology at a senior level for more than twenty-five years. He has published widely, including the Haddenham Project volumes (with Ian Hodder) and Power and Island Communities: Excavations at the Wardy Hill Ringwork, Coveney, Ely. He has, in addition, directed a number of overseas fieldwork projects (Nepal, China & Cape Verde), and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists. In response to the announcement, Christopher was quoted as saying Having something of a renegade academic status, I am delighted and honoured to be elected to the Academy. Chris is one of six academics from the University of Cambridge to be so honoured this year. Mom, Shirley, is rightfully proud of Chris achievement. So too would have been his grandparents, Nan and Tom Evans, who were diligent workers in Dewi Sant for so many years. Llongyfarchiadau Christopher Betty Cullingworth MEET UP FOR WELSH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS The last Meet Up for Welsh language speakers was on Saturday, December 8 from 2-4 at the Allen Gardens Conservatory (Carlton and Church) followed by refreshments at the Loblaws cafe. Y Gadwyn 5 December/Rhagfyr 2018

6 Although too late for this Gadwyn note that The Meet UP app is available to anyone with internet and listed as "meet up for Toronto Welsh speakers". Olwen Hoffman UPCOMING EVENTS ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ DECEMBER SERVICES December promises to be a full and interesting period at Dewi Sant. On December 2 nd there will be a bi-lingual service. With the help of Rev Néstor we have put together an Advent service with readings, songs and prayers in both languages. The following Sunday December 9 th the annual Christmas Pageant will be performed by several family members. The title of this year's pageant is "Katie the Cat Goes to Bethlehem". Come listen to her story and find out what she got up to when in fact she should have been staying at home! The Christmas Eve service on Monday, December 24 will be held at 8:00 p.m. with Lessons, Carols and Special Music There is a lot of preparation for these special Sundays so please come and support those who so willingly give of their time and effort. Put the dates on your calendars. Hefina Phillips Y Gadwyn 6 December/Rhagfyr 2018

7 Y Gadwyn 7 December/Rhagfyr 2018

DONATIONS TO Y GADWYN OR HOW ABOUT EMAIL? Please contact the Editor if you wish to receive Y Gadwyn by email. If you want to keep using paper we are also looking for donations to cover the postage.

8 DONATIONS TO Y GADWYN OR HOW ABOUT ? Please contact the Editor if you wish to receive Y Gadwyn by . If you want to keep using paper we are also looking for donations to cover the postage. Please send all donations to the church Secretary, Dewi Sant Welsh United Church, 33 Melrose Avenue, Toronto, M5M 1Y6. CONTACT US AND SUBMISSIONS Anna Dunets, Editor. adunetswills@gmail.com or Please send in your contributions by December 28 which is the cut-off date for submissions to the next issue. Y Gadwyn 8 December/Rhagfyr 2018

A War to end all Wars.

A War to end all Wars. One hundred years have now passed since the start of the 1st World War. A war to end all wars! But it wasn t was it? But it should have been. Who wants to learn from history? Some